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Troy baseball has a message for the college baseball world writ large: It isn't a cutesy little June story. Those don't put up 26 runs within 36 hours to win their region as a No. 3 seed. They don't beat a clearly overmatched super regional opponent by a combined score of a 19-4. And they certainly don't have a hitter whose nickname plays on one of the most famous players in baseball history.
Enter Jabe Boroff, the face of a Troy Trojans team that, in a word, mashes. Troy has put up double-digit runs in five of its nine Men's NCAA Tournament games, including 16-11 and 10-2 wins over Florida to escape the Gainesville Regional. Indeed, it's a team that has played its best baseball with its back against the wall, defeating Ole Miss 12-8 in a game that wasn't even as close as that score in the elimination bracket following an opening-game loss to West Virginia in its first ever College World Series.
REQUIRED READING: Who's eliminated from College World Series? Updated CWS bracket, schedule
Boroff, who has adopted the nickname "Jabe Ruth," has earned the moniker. He has 21 RBI in the Men's NCAA Tournament to date, already the highest number since 2008. He hit the go-ahead double for the Trojans in their elimination game against Ole Miss in a 6-6 game in the seventh inning. And in a story we've seen so many times before, he's doing this as a diamond in the rough, a JUCO monster who is now getting a shot on college baseball's biggest stage.
It hasn't all been smooth sailing for Boroff. He struggled mightily through the regular season before finding his rhythm at the perfect time. He, like Troy, is an oddity. He was hitting sub-.200 in early May with just one home run to his name. His team made the tournament as a 29-loss Sun Belt team, and became the first 30-loss team (it lost its first game of regionals) to make the College World Series. But these underdogs aren't underdogs anymore. Here's what to know about Boroff heading into his next elimination game against the Mountaineers, who sent them down to the loser's bracket to begin with.
Sometimes nicknames just fall into people's laps. So it was for Boroff, a big-swinging masher who took an entire season to earn a nickname based on arguably the most famous baseball player of all time.
His full name is John Bashford Boroff III, and while something could be done with Bashford, his family began referring to him as "Jabe." He didn't have a debut Troy season that usually earned nicknames, only logging one homer through May 9. But after bash(ford)ing four home runs in regionals (including a two-homer game against Miami) and notching another two against Little Rock in super regionals, a new moniker was necessary.
While it's unknown who started calling Boroff by his lofty new name, he has worn it in stride. He and Jimmy Janicki have been some of the most impressive hitters in the tournament, and they'll hope to advance for a chance to play North Carolina in the semifinals for their side of the bracket.
Boroff has been scorching hot since the tournament began. After hitting .500 in regionals and driving in 12 runs, he is hitting .400 since with another nine RBI. But what makes Boroff's emergence even more special is how easily it could have not happened. He wasn't starting for the Trojans in May and was hitting .125 with a homer on May 9. After that date, he has been one of the hottest hitters in baseball, earning his spot in the lineup every day while also elevating Troy in the process.
Junior college can be a place players can thrive. Just ask the coach of the hottest team in the country: Skip Johnson of Oklahoma.
At Enterprise State Community College in Alabama, Boroff was a standout star. He hit .452 over 50 games and hit 20 home runs with 62 RBI.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is Jabe Boroff? What to know of Troy slugger in CWS
Continue reading...
Enter Jabe Boroff, the face of a Troy Trojans team that, in a word, mashes. Troy has put up double-digit runs in five of its nine Men's NCAA Tournament games, including 16-11 and 10-2 wins over Florida to escape the Gainesville Regional. Indeed, it's a team that has played its best baseball with its back against the wall, defeating Ole Miss 12-8 in a game that wasn't even as close as that score in the elimination bracket following an opening-game loss to West Virginia in its first ever College World Series.
REQUIRED READING: Who's eliminated from College World Series? Updated CWS bracket, schedule
Boroff, who has adopted the nickname "Jabe Ruth," has earned the moniker. He has 21 RBI in the Men's NCAA Tournament to date, already the highest number since 2008. He hit the go-ahead double for the Trojans in their elimination game against Ole Miss in a 6-6 game in the seventh inning. And in a story we've seen so many times before, he's doing this as a diamond in the rough, a JUCO monster who is now getting a shot on college baseball's biggest stage.
It hasn't all been smooth sailing for Boroff. He struggled mightily through the regular season before finding his rhythm at the perfect time. He, like Troy, is an oddity. He was hitting sub-.200 in early May with just one home run to his name. His team made the tournament as a 29-loss Sun Belt team, and became the first 30-loss team (it lost its first game of regionals) to make the College World Series. But these underdogs aren't underdogs anymore. Here's what to know about Boroff heading into his next elimination game against the Mountaineers, who sent them down to the loser's bracket to begin with.
Why is Jabe Boroff called 'Jabe Ruth?'
Sometimes nicknames just fall into people's laps. So it was for Boroff, a big-swinging masher who took an entire season to earn a nickname based on arguably the most famous baseball player of all time.
His full name is John Bashford Boroff III, and while something could be done with Bashford, his family began referring to him as "Jabe." He didn't have a debut Troy season that usually earned nicknames, only logging one homer through May 9. But after bash(ford)ing four home runs in regionals (including a two-homer game against Miami) and notching another two against Little Rock in super regionals, a new moniker was necessary.
While it's unknown who started calling Boroff by his lofty new name, he has worn it in stride. He and Jimmy Janicki have been some of the most impressive hitters in the tournament, and they'll hope to advance for a chance to play North Carolina in the semifinals for their side of the bracket.
Jabe Boroff Men's NCAA Baseball Tournament stats
- Regionals: 10-for-20, 12 RBI, four home runs
- Super regionals: 2-for-6, 6 RBI, two home runs
- College World Series (to date): 2-for-4, 3 RBI
- Tournament totals (to date): 14-for-30 (.467 BA), 21 RBI, six home runs
Boroff has been scorching hot since the tournament began. After hitting .500 in regionals and driving in 12 runs, he is hitting .400 since with another nine RBI. But what makes Boroff's emergence even more special is how easily it could have not happened. He wasn't starting for the Trojans in May and was hitting .125 with a homer on May 9. After that date, he has been one of the hottest hitters in baseball, earning his spot in the lineup every day while also elevating Troy in the process.
Jabe Boroff JUCO
Junior college can be a place players can thrive. Just ask the coach of the hottest team in the country: Skip Johnson of Oklahoma.
At Enterprise State Community College in Alabama, Boroff was a standout star. He hit .452 over 50 games and hit 20 home runs with 62 RBI.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is Jabe Boroff? What to know of Troy slugger in CWS
Continue reading...
